


There You Are

by liamthebastard



Series: Hometown Glory Expanded Universe [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-03-02
Packaged: 2018-05-24 07:29:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6146152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liamthebastard/pseuds/liamthebastard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Iwaizumi's first time visiting Oikawa in Tokyo.</p>
<p>The first installment in a series of post-Hometown Glory fics in which Iwaizumi and Oikawa learn how to heal and love each other again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	There You Are

**Author's Note:**

> For those who wanted a sequel -- enjoy.

The train was so _crowded_. Hajime thought privately that he’d never seen quite so many people crammed into such a small space in his life. It was horrifically cramped, and Iwaizumi barely held it together long enough to reach the correct stop. From there, he followed the convoluted instructions Oikawa had written down for him until he found himself in front of a towering apartment complex. 

He took the elevator up an obscene amount of floors, and rang the buzzer on number four. The door flew open not two seconds later, and a slightly disheveled Oikawa stood on the other side. 

“I thought you wouldn’t be here until tomorrow?” Oikawa said, breaking the oddly tense silence between them.

Iwaizumi flushed. “I was going to get a hotel room for tonight- but I was worried I’d get lost,” he admitted. It was one of their rules now, for their interactions. Until they learned to read each other again, they had to be completely honest. No lies, not to each other. 

Oikawa’s mouth tilted up into a smirk. “Well, can’t have Iwa-chan roaming Tokyo unaccompanied, who knows what kind of trouble you’d get into,” he laughed. The his eyes went steely, catching the light with a glint that looked all too familiar to Iwaizumi. “Besides, hotel room? That’s a little harsh, Iwa-chan. You know my couch is always open to you.”

“I-” Iwaizumi hesitated. “I didn’t want to assume,” he finished, his hand coming up to rub the back of his neck nervously. Oikawa rolled his eyes in response. 

“Just come inside, Hajime,” he said as he stepped back from the doorway, his voice unexpectedly soft. Iwaizumi jolted like he’d been shocked, as if Oikawa hadn’t said his given name a thousand times before. He stepped inside, bag over his shoulder, and paused awkwardly in the entryway, close to Oikawa. 

He was waffling between an overly-familiar _tadaima_ and a too-formal _ojama shimasu_ when Oikawa took the choice away from him by letting the door slam shut on the hallway and throwing his arms around Iwaizumi and hugging him tight. Iwaizumi’s arms circled Oikawa in return naturally, pulling the other man against his chest and letting all the tension in his body melt away.

Oikawa’s face was buried in Iwaizumi’s neck, his breath tickling against the sensitive skin there until Iwaizumi wanted to laugh or push Oikawa against the wall, and he wasn’t sure which was the worse response. 

“Missed you,” Oikawa muttered, like it was a dark secret. Iwaizumi smiled slightly, and turned a little to press a soft kiss to Oikawa’s fluffy brown hair. 

“I missed you, too,” Iwaizumi said, and it wasn’t an automatic response like it could have been. It was heartfelt, and the words weren’t quite enough to describe how Iwaizumi’s heart had ached without Oikawa there. Even though he’d spent a good decade without the man, a single week with him was enough to remind Iwaizumi that Oikawa was part of him, a part that was somewhere far from him. 

The month since they’d last been face-to-face seemed interminably long, even though they’d spoken nearly every day through text or Skype, even though they’d both been busy with work and friends and life. Even though they’d both been without the other for so long. It had felt wrong, now that the air was cleared between them, to be separate. 

“C’mon,” Oikawa finally said, stepping out of the hug. “You can drop your bag in the front closet. Give me five minutes to change, and I’ll take you out for a late dinner.” For the first time, Iwaizumi actually _looked_ at Oikawa. He was wearing an oversized shirt that Iwaizumi vaguely recognized, and sleep pants that were pitch black with lurid green alien heads patterned all over them. Iwaizumi barely smothered a snort, and followed Oikawa’s instructions. Once his bag was safely stowed away in the closet, he slipped out of his shoes and stepped into the main area of the apartment. 

On his right was a kitchen, small, but Oikawa had never been the best cook. The living room was on his left, and it seemed so hollow. The furniture was generic, no photos of friends or family were on display, and no books or throw blankets cluttered the space. The only personal touches were the posters on the wall, mostly large prints of pictures from the Hubble Telescope, but one in particular caught Iwaizumi’s eye. He crossed the room to where the poster hung. It was much smaller than the other posters, more like a flyer than anything else, but still Oikawa had hung it with care. 

The poster was old-school, but obviously a reprint. Something Oikawa would have had to look for, or even order online, to have it reprinted. A large monster loomed on the poster, green and scaly with sharp, jagged, teeth. Iwaizumi smiled. 

“I didn’t know you liked Godzilla, Trashykawa,” Iwaizumi laughed, calling back to Oikawa’s room. 

“Oh, shut up, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa replied, much closer than Iwaizumi had anticipated. He jumped a little, and turned around to find Oikawa, now dressed in tight dark jeans and a light teal tee, standing a foot or so away. 

Iwaizumi felt an intense warmth flood his chest, and he quickly closed the distance between them, pulling Oikawa in for a second hug. It was novel, having Oikawa close enough to touch. After so long apart, Iwaizumi couldn’t find the will to keep a proper distance between them. They fit together perfectly, Oikawa’s extra height vanishing when he rested his head on Iwaizumi’s shoulder. His whole body seemed to buzz the longer he stood with Oikawa. He felt drunk or tipsy, just from being near him. 

Oikawa stepped back, just a little, enough for them to look at each other properly. Iwaizumi knew his clothes were rumpled from a day spent traveling, and that they were picked far more for comfort rather than any kind of style. Next to Oikawa, he had to look a mess, but Oikawa was staring at him like he used to stare at the sky when they were children. Awed, and fascinated, and a little bit desperate. 

“Can I kiss you?” Iwaizumi asked quietly, cupping Oikawa’s jaw with one of his hands. Oikawa nodded, eyes wide and glassy. He leaned in slowly, giving Oikawa plenty of time to change his mind if he wanted to, and gently pressed their lips together. Oikawa’s lips were so soft, letting Iwaizumi guide the kiss but still making it clear it was welcome. 

They parted slowly, a soft breath breaking them apart. Iwaizumi’s eyes opened almost immediately, and he got to watch Oikawa’s eyes open slowly, and blink a few times before he seemed to come back to himself. 

“Ready to get dinner?” Oikawa asked, his voice low. Iwaizumi just nodded, and let Oikawa be the one to step away from the embrace. He did reach out and take his hand as Oikawa locked up the apartment behind them. Oikawa’s cheeks flushed pink when he noticed, but when Iwaizumi moved to let go, Oikawa just held on tighter. “C’mon, let’s go,” Oikawa said, and led Iwaizumi out of the building and down the block. 

A few blocks of walking later, Oikawa pointed out a small restaurant across the street. “Their food is really good, I think you’ll like it,” Oikawa said with a small smile. Iwaizumi grinned back at him, and let Oikawa pull him across the street at the crosswalk, all the while grinning like a loon. Oikawa’s smile grew to match his as they stepped into the restaurant. 

The host was a bit younger than them, probably mid-twenties, and led them towards the back of the restaurant to a quiet booth. They settled on opposite sides of the table, Iwaizumi reluctant to take his eyes off of Oikawa for even a moment. Once they were seated, though, Oikawa reached across the table top and took Iwaizumi’s hand again. 

Their server came by and got their drink orders, and Iwaizumi belatedly realized that he should probably look at the menu. Oikawa laughed a bit when Iwaizumi struggled to open it one-handed. 

“What, do you already know what you’re getting?” Iwaizumi asked gruffly, trying to push down his smile. It refused to leave his face; it was just so _good_ to see Oikawa smiling, to be able to hold his hand, to feel the rush of whatever they had growing between them again. 

“That, and I already know what _you’re_ getting.” Oikawa smirked, swiveling the straw around his water with his free hand. “Check the top of the second page.”

Iwaizumi flipped to the correct page, and turned pink for a split-second before schooling his expression. “And how do you know I still like it?” Iwaizumi said, gesturing to the description of _agedashi tofu_. 

Oikawa’s grin didn’t falter. “Because, Iwa-chan, some things never change,” he said breezily, squeezing Iwaizumi’s hand briefly. The server came by and took their food orders -Oikawa had ordered some kind of curry, and Iwaizumi had, predictably, ordered the tofu- and they settled in to wait. 

“Now, Iwa-chan, tell me all about your trip here,” Oikawa insisted. Iwaizumi shrugged, but rattled off a summary about the trip. It was nothing special, the trains were crowded, the stations busy, and all-in-all he’d just listened to music for the majority of the trip. He had noticed a few amusing things on the trip though, and those anecdotes kept Oikawa smiling and occasionally laughing all the way up until their food arrived. 

“Your turn, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi said once they’d eaten a few bites. “Talk to me.”

“What about?” Oikawa asked around a mouthful of curry. 

Iwaizumi smiled. “Everything.”

 

*

 

The evening passed with quiet stories traded over their meals. Some of the stories were amusing, like the one Oikawa told of coming home one night during college to find both Kuroo and Bokuto passed out in the middle of a game of drunk Twister. Some of them make his heart hurt, like the story of Oikawa’s first night alone in his own apartment. 

He only started telling the story when they were on their way back to Oikawa’s, and Iwaizumi had asked how long he’d been in the apartment. 

“It’s the same one I moved into after college,” Oikawa said. “It’s not so bad now, but when I first moved in, it was awful.”

Iwaizumi didn’t want to pry, but he raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Oikawa smiled sadly, the grip he had on Iwaizumi’s hand going tight for a moment before he continued. 

“It was so quiet,” Oikawa said. “I don’t know how, but I’d gotten used to hearing Kuroo snoring one room away, and hearing Kenma’s games chirping in the living room. And then it was all just gone, complete silence. Even the traffic outside seemed quieter. All I could hear was my own breathing and heartbeat. I’d been by myself before, but I think that was the first time I was truly _alone_. I don’t know if I even slept that night, I just curled up in the corner of my bed and stared at the ceiling all night.” Oikawa gave a dry laugh.

The image made Iwaizumi’s breath catch in his throat. An Oikawa, six years ago, younger and more fragile than the man holding his hand now, propped up in his room in that apartment that felt more like a hotel room than a home. Silently staring at the ceiling, hoping sleep would come to him, but it never did. It made something raw and sharp prickle through his lungs, made each breath hard to draw. The idea that Oikawa had be so alone, while Iwaizumi had been content and happy with his life in Miyagi… it made his chest ache. 

Iwaizumi couldn’t think of anything to say, anything that would convey how badly Iwaizumi wanted to be there for that Oikawa, and how desperate Iwaizumi felt to make sure Oikawa never felt that alone again, even if he found himself sleepless and by himself in that same apartment. They walked in silence, Iwaizumi struggling with the stone that weighed on his tongue, until they arrived at the apartment building. Iwaizumi followed Oikawa up to his place, but tugged Oikawa to a stop just inside the apartment. 

“Is it still like that?” he asked. 

Oikawa seemed startled by Iwaizumi’s question. He pursed his lips briefly, considering the question seriously. “Sometimes, yeah. Sometimes it feels so big and empty that it might just swallow me whole and leave no trace. But I travel so much with work, I’m almost never here for very long,” he finally said. “And when I am, I try to have people over or have something to do. Distractions, but good enough.”

And that hurt just as much as the idea of past Oikawa being alone, if not more. Because this Oikawa he could help, but he still wasn’t. He was just a distraction. 

Something in his face must have betrayed his thoughts, because Oikawa immediately corrected him.

“It’s better having you here, though. Makes it feel less empty,” he said, like it was just an offhand fact, and not something that was going to send Iwaizumi’s heart hammering against his ribs. The unsaid _makes me feel less alone_ sat between them, heavy in the air. Despite the tension, or maybe because of it, Oikawa spoke again. 

“C’mon, let’s go to bed,” he said softly, and as tempting as the offer was, Iwaizumi needed to make himself clear. 

“I- I don’t want to have sex,” Iwaizumi muttered quietly. 

Oikawa tilted his head back slightly, face going still in that way it did when he was observing and cataloguing an opponent. “I meant to sleep,” he said slowly, “and you know I’m completely fine with waiting. But a response like that merits a question. Why?”

Iwaizumi flushed bright red. “I know that we, uh, already have, but I just… I meant what I said. About wanting to get to know you again. And I kinda want to do that first? Before we do anything else, I want to know you.” He looked down at his feet, too embarassed to make eye contact with Oikawa, but moments later he felt a hand grasp his chin and tilt it up. 

“You, Iwaizumi Hajime, are an unbearable sap,” Oikawa said, and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. Iwaizumi blushed again, but let Oikawa take his hand. “Now, c’mon, let’s get some sleep. I’ve got big plans for tomorrow.” 

And Iwaizumi smiled, and let Oikawa lead them both back to his bedroom for the night. 

*

Oikawa’s alarms had always been unbearably catchy pop songs. Throughout high school, Iwaizumi had gotten used to hearing whatever was highest on the Top 40 charts blasting through the tinny speakers at absurdly early hours. So when seven a.m. rolled around, and an obnoxious beeping filled the room, rousing Iwaizumi, he wasn’t sure what to think. His own phone hadn’t had an alarm set, so that meant it had to be Oikawa’s. 

The other man shifted as the sound grew louder, and after a moment, Oikawa’s eyes opened. He reached over to the nightstand and silenced the alarm. 

“Good morning, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said blearily. His hair was a mess of tangles, and Iwaizumi smothered a laugh as he rubbed his eyes. 

Sleeping in the same bed the night before had given Iwaizumi some pause, but any potential awkwardness had melted away by morning, leaving Iwaizumi completely comfortable in watching as Oikawa got out of the bed and moved across the room. 

“Do you want the shower first?” Oikawa offered. Iwaizumi shook his head, and Oikawa smiled softly before heading to the shower. 

While the sound of rushing water filtered in from down the hall, Iwaizumi flopped back on the bed, savoring the warmth and wondering what exactly Oikawa had in mind for the day. He expected to have a good twenty minutes to himself, but not even ten minutes after the water started, Iwaizumi heard the shower stop and moments later Oikawa stepped back into the bedroom, clad in just a bath towel tied snugly around his hips. His hair was ruffled and damp, and his skin flushed from the warmth of the water. 

Iwaizumi felt his breath catch in his throat, and he glanced down to try and hide his blush.   
“Shower’s free,” Oikawa said casually, but when Iwaizumi looked up, his cheeks were dusted pink. Iwaizumi tried to hide his responding smirk, but judging by Oikawa’s quiet laugh, he’d been unsuccessful. 

“Be back,” Iwaizumi said, and he hesitated by the door before dropping a kiss on Oikawa’s cheek. Oikawa’s blush turned from pink to scarlet, and Iwaizumi left the room chuckling. 

His shower was even faster than Oikawa’s, just enough time to scrub his body and wash his hair. He got back to Oikawa’s room while Oikawa was just in boxers, brushing his hair. Iwaizumi took a moment to admire Oikawa’s form. Even though it’d been years since either of them had played volleyball, Oikawa’s body was still trim and strong. 

“Quit ogling me and get dressed, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa laughed, brandishing his hairbrush in Iwaizumi’s direction. Iwaizumi rolled his eyes but stepped out into the living room to grab his bag and retreated to the bathroom to get dressed. When he returned, Oikawa’s hair was finally done, but he still hadn’t put on pants. 

“You nag me to get dressed, but you’re still half-naked,” Iwaizumi complained. 

Oikawa quirked an eyebrow. “Would you rather me full-naked?” he asked, and Iwaizumi couldn’t help laughing at the Oikawa’s obviousness. “Oh shut it,” Oikawa continued. “I’m just putting it off.”

He sat on the edge of the bed and waited for Oikawa to explain. Of course, the other man didn’t, simply crossed to the dresser and pulled a familiar piece of white material out of the top drawer. Oikawa sat next to him on the bed and strapped his right knee into the brace. 

Iwaizumi made a questioning sound, and Oikawa sighed. “I don’t usually need it in my down time, but if I’m walking a lot, I have to wear it,” Oikawa explained. Iwaizumi was quiet, but let Oikawa lead him out of the apartment and down the stairs. As they walked, Oikawa started to talk. “I tore it in college, first semester. Worse than ever. It knocked me off the team, I couldn’t really even walk far for the longest time,” he said as they crossed the street towards the train station. 

“I knew you’d stopped playing,” Iwaizumi said finally, when Oikawa didn’t continue. “I just never knew why. I thought maybe… maybe you didn’t love it anymore.”

Oikawa’s eyes were shrewd and Iwaizumi knew he’d heard the second meaning in Iwaizumi’s words. “No, Iwa-chan. I still loved it. Hell, it’s how I got writing. I was a sports reporter for the longest time, and it took me all over the world. That’s how I got into travel writing,” Oikawa explained as they boarded the train.

“You’re a travel writer?” Iwaizumi asked. Oikawa had never expressed much interest in seeing the world, or even writing; he’d always complained about essays in school, he’d said they were boring and irrelevant since nobody actually cared what a bunch of teenagers thought about a passage.

“Mmmhmm,” Oikawa nodded, tugging Iwaizumi along when their stop arrived. “I still do a few pieces on athletics, but most of my writing is travel-based now. I get paid to go just about everywhere and explore, it’s kind of amazing.” 

Iwaizumi made some affirmative sound, letting Oikawa guide him through winding streets until they arrived at their destination. 

“A coffeeshop?” Iwaizumi said skeptically. 

Oikawa brandished a finger warningly. “Don’t knock it, Iwa-chan, this place is miraculous,” he said firmly. “Besides, if I show you all the _good_ spots in Tokyo, you won’t have a reason to come back.” 

“That’s not true,” Iwaizumi said as they stepped into the shop. Oikawa made a confused sound as he joined the queue. “I’m not coming here because it’s Tokyo,” Iwaizumi elaborated. “I’m here because _you’re_ here.” 

The other man turned faintly pink but otherwise ignored Iwaizumi’s words. “Just shut up and order something, Iwa-chan,” he grumbled, pretending to be annoyed. Iwaizumi chuckled and refused to take his tone at face value. 

Instead, he darted over and pressed a quick kiss to Oikawa’s cheek, making them flame red and Oikawa’s next words dissolve into embarassed splutters. Iwaizumi grinned and let Oikawa approach the counter and order for them both. Meanwhile, he claimed them a space on a plush loveseat that looked out onto the sidewalk. 

When Oikawa approached with the drinks and a pastry to split, Iwaizumi patted the space next to him and took the tray from Oikawa’s hands. “So what’d you get us?” he asked curiously, resisting the urge to sniff at the foamy drinks. 

“Something sweet, I hope you choke on it,” Oikawa said saccharinely, and Iwaizumi laughed again, and picked up one of the cups. He took a sip, and, as he’d expected, it was actually coffee, with nothing but a bit of cream and sugar added. 

He smirked a little. “Wuss,” he said simply. Oikawa made an affronted sound, but let Iwaizumi sling an arm around him as they settled back into the loveseat to drink their coffees before they got cold. They passed a few hours there, grabbing fresh drinks every so often to give them an excuse to monopolize the loveseat, until Oikawa had consumed so much caffeine that he _had to burn off the energy, right now, Iwa-chan_. 

So they rose and left the cafe, hand in hand, and Oikawa led them down the block to a local park. The trees had lost their blossoms, and were showing the soft green leaves of late spring. Oikawa still looked stunning in the shifting light, so much so that Iwaizumi had to keep reminding himself that staring wasn’t a substitute for talking. 

As the afternoon wore on, Iwaizumi insisted they stop for a rest, to take some pressure of Oikawa’s knee. Before Iwaizumi could ask Oikawa another question, Oikawa spoke. 

“I’ve been talking about myself _all day_ , Iwa-chan. I know I’m fascinating, but I want to hear about you!” Oikawa complained while Iwaizumi guided them to a bench. 

“Then ask me something,” Iwaizumi said easily, taking Oikawa’s right leg and drawing it up onto his lap. 

Oikawa scoffed at his worrying, but let Iwaizumi drape both his legs over his own lap, and smiled when they were settled. “Okay, so how did you end up running the convenience store?” Oikawa asked. Iwaizumi quirked an eyebrow, he’d only mentioned he _worked_ at the convenience store. “Mattsun and I _do_ talk now and then, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa sighed, as if Iwaizumi was a personal trial to him. 

“Oh,” Iwaizumi mumbled, feeling a little silly. “Well, Hayashi-sama gave me the job as a clerk and stockboy, but she needed a lot more help than she anticipated, and I started taking on more and more responsibility. I redid a few things in the store, helped boost sales, that kind of thing. When she was ready to step down, I’d been manager for a while, and it just kind of… happened. She doesn’t have any kids, so she sort of latched onto me, and me to her.” 

Iwaizumi flushed when he looked over and saw Oikawa studying him with large, intense eyes. His hand instinctively moved to rub at the back of his neck, but Oikawa caught it in his own and held on tight. 

“That’s really impressive, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said solemnly, and part of Iwaizumi wanted to protest. It really wasn’t much of anything, just a small-town job for a small-town man, but Oikawa’s eyes were full of that wonder again, and Iwaizumi didn’t have the heart to push against it. 

Instead he just blushed and let Oikawa press a gentle kiss to his cheek while the spring sunlight filtered down through the leaves. 

*

Their weekend passed all-too-quickly, with evenings out at quiet, intimate restaurants, days spent wandering the city, and nights spent curled up together, whispering quietly about themselves and trading secrets in the dark. Soon, it was time for Iwaizumi to go home. 

Iwaizumi had nearly argued when Oikawa insisted on walking with him to the train station, but stopped himself at the last minute. Makki’s death was still very much painful, and it wasn’t worth hurting Oikawa to try and be polite. Instead, they walked together, hands intertwined, and maybe the walk took longer than it should have, but Iwaizumi was the last to complain. 

The station seemed to loom too quickly, rushing their goodbyes. 

“Call me the moment you get home, okay?” Oikawa said firmly as they stood at the entrance to the station. Iwaizumi nodded dumbly, then reached out and pulled Oikawa into a fierce hug. 

“I don’t want to go,” he mumbled into Oikawa’s shoulder, ashamed when he felt tears prickle in his eyes. When he pulled back he felt a bit better, because Oikawa’s eyes were damper than usual too. 

Oikawa leaned in and gave him a sweet, gentle kiss. “I’ll miss you, too,” he whispered, “but if you don’t get on that train right now, I won’t let you leave.” There was a wicked glint in his eyes that made Iwaizumi’s heart race, but he was a responsible adult, occasionally, and knew he had to go home, at least for a while. 

“You’ll come to Miyagi next, right?” Iwaizumi asked. Oikawa smiled sadly, a smile that said _maybe_. “One day, you’ll tell me what scares you so much,” Iwaizumi said firmly, because there was no doubt in his mind that Oikawa was terrified of returning to Miyagi. 

“One day, Hajime,” Oikawa promised, and kissed him one more time. “Now go, you’ll miss the train.” 

Iwaizumi leaned in for one more kiss, and Oikawa let it happen for a moment before shoving him off and towards the train. They both laughed a little, mostly to hide how wet their eyes had gotten. “See you soon, Tooru,” Iwaizumi said, not wanting to say a goodbye to the man, even if it was a temporary one. 

Oikawa beamed. “See you soon, Hajime,” he returned. Iwaizumi quickly boarded the train, and stared out the window to where Oikawa stood on the platform, watching until the train pulled away and the platform was out of sight. Just before he disappeared from sight, Iwaizumi raised a hand and watched Oikawa mirror him. 

_See you soon_ , Iwaizumi repeated to himself, a reminder, and a promise.

**Author's Note:**

> I've literally been agonizing over this piece since I published the ending to Hometown Glory. More to come, and hopefully they'll come more easily.


End file.
